entire inventory available
1992 Los Angeles riots.
to customers and allow for
Fashioning the 90-year-old
shipping from stores. "It feels
space into an urban flaglike we're actually launching
ship store for athletic shoes
two flagship stores," says
became the task of Archer
Fedor. "The 7th Street store
and his staff, and involved
is a statement, and the online
often-lengthy meetings with
store will be a completely
the building's owner and ofdifferent experience in terms
ficials from the city's Office
of capability, navigation and
of Historic Resources. "Both
functionality."
WSS and the landlord contribOne of the flagship's stateuted to the restoration," he
says. "We closely followed the "We hire locally, and it shows that we're ments is a Nike Jordan storepart of the local scene and community. within-a store, which feaarchitect's original designs and
incorporated the features of
You're not going to get that if you're just tures a museum-like display
of 23 popular models worn
the building into our current
primarily an online presence."
by Michael Jordan.
design."
- Dexter Fedor, WSS
The Jordan concept store
WSS brought in retail deis part of a strategy to brand
signer M. Todd Belle, who
BRANDING THE EXPERIENCE
had experience on Nike store projects,
the overall WSS shopping experience.
One key to the success of WSS has
to provide an overall design strategy.
"There's some fierce competition in
been its "neighborhood" concept. InBelle worked closely with Robert
this arena from other retailers both
stead of opening stores in rent-hungry
Grosse, vice president of design and
traditional and online, so we're looking
malls, the company follows Alon's
construction for WSS, and Dexter
at how to improve the WSS shopping
model of keeping outlets close to their
Fedor, the company's chief marketing
visit," Fedor says. "The web provides
customers. This strategy comes with
officer, to see through the vision.
products for cost-conscious consumers
cheaper rent for more square footage in
"Todd drove the fixture design,
who know what they want. But we've
outlying areas away from retail anchors.
while Robert built it out for us and
got to provide a reason for people to
"This location is just a mile from
I handled branding and aesthetics,"
come in and shop too. There's no duAlvarado Street, which is close to the
says Fedor. "The bottom line was we
plicating coming in and trying on some
large Latino community in our area
didn't want a duplicate Niketown. ...
shoes until you find the one you like."
and they've been a large portion of
We wanted to make our own stateWSS is also offering shoe customizaour customers," says Archer. "And
ment that would resonate with our
tion, another way to bring customers
we're just a mile from downtown
customers."
into the store. "Many online retailers
L.A., which is experiencing a re-birth
The sales floor of the flagship WSS
have the ability to customize, but if
with lots of people and businesses
looks similar to its regular stores, with
you're into a customized shoe you're
moving in. So we're positioned for
utilitarian racks holding shoe boxes
going to be very particular about
growth, but our focus is always going
and shoes on display above. What
how it looks," says Fedor. "That can
to be on our core customers."
draws customers' attention are the
be hard to judge online. It's better to
Another change for the business
large murals of L.A. people and street
be in the store, see how it feels, have
is the re-introduction this month of
scenes on the mezzanine around the
friends with you to help you decide
shopping capability to the company's
interior.
and get it customized right there."
website. WSS had e-commerce capa"We hired Will Deleon, a commerOverall, the company hopes to make
bility until last May, when the compacial photographer from Los Angeles
the new store a kind of prototype for
ny decided to make some big changes
who knows the city, and sent him
stores to come. "It shows how far
online. "Technology is changing so
out ... in the neighborhoods where
we've come over 30 years and how
quickly, we determined that we could
our stores are located," says Fedor.
we're committed to keeping up," says
either make incremental changes to
"It really gets to the heart of WSS,
Archer. "This business is moving fast,
the e-commerce site and try to get it
who we are and the customers we
and to thrive you have to move with
up to speed, or we could completely
serve. We hire locally, and it shows
it."
overhaul it into a full omnichannel
that we're part of the local scene and
fulfillment system," says Archer.
community. You're not going to get
John Morell is a Los Angeles-based writer
The goal with the new e-commerce
that if you're just primarily an online
who has covered retail and business topics for
system is to make the company's
presence."
a number of publications around the world.
NRF.COM/STORES
STORES July 2015 55

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